Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin strongly believes in the sovereignty and neutrality of Ireland and its people. Our approach to the EU has evolved as the EU itself has. However, our opposition to the emergence of a united states of Europe and an army to defend its interests has never faltered. PESCO is another step in the direction of an EU army that would see Ireland being pushed to raise military spending and to boost the profits of arms manufacturers. The people have shown in repeated referendum campaigns that they too see the danger of an EU army and oppose any such moves. In 2016 a poll found that the majority of people wanted neutrality enshrined in the Constitution.

A majority believe Shannon Airport should not be used for foreign military flights. Numerous polls have found that to be true. The Nice and Lisbon treaties were rejected by many voters on that basis. Sinn Féin has been warning of an EU army for a long time. Recent geopolitical events have made this future even more likely. Political leaders at the heart of the EU are now talking more brazenly and more than ever about this. Macron, Merkel, Jean-Claude Juncker and many others recently made pronouncements on the virtues of an EU army. Unfortunately, recent polls have shown that a majority of the French people back this position also. Germany's justice minister, Katarina Barley, said recently that Germany was ready for the next step in arriving at an EU army. A recent deal between France and Germany was described by both premiers is an important step towards an EU army. Merkel said the pact aims to build a Franco-German common military culture and contributes to the creation of a European army. Merkel even boasted that the army would complement NATO.

Given the lack of any care shown to Ireland, Greece and Portugal in recent years, and the bully-boy tactics of the EU towards anyone who dares to oppose its neo-liberal and anti-democratic policies, they have a great deal to fear from this move and should do everything their power not to be part of, and to oppose, it. We had 800 years of an imperialistic army and that did not work, so why do we want another European army?

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